Chapter 290: Instructions
On the other side, Wen Xiuyi and the rest rode the horse carriages home, the two carriages pulling up inside the courtyard one after the other.
Old Madam Luo emerged from the house and asked, “Why did you come back so late today?”
Hoisting his son down from the carriage, Wen Xiuyi replied, “Rongrong treated Yao Yao and Li Yi to dinner, so we tagged along for a freeloaded meal.”
“So you’ve already eaten—got it.” Old Madam Luo didn’t press further, merely ushering the youngsters inside, before catching the faint scent of alcohol on Wen Xiuyi’s clothes and instructing Nanny Shi to quickly brew some sobering soup.
Wen Xiuyi waved his hand dismissively: “Mom, don’t bother. I didn’t drink much. Little Jun is heading to the capital with Doctor Jin tomorrow, and I still have things to go over with him.”
Old Madam Luo froze. “What? Little Jun is going to the capital? Going there for what?”
Li Yi spoke up from the side: “Grandma Luo, someone in my family fell ill, so we invited Doctor Jin back to treat them. Doctor Jin wants to bring Brother Wen along to the Imperial Academy of Medicine as well to take a look.”
Old Madam Luo knitted her brows slightly. Someone in Li Yi’s family—wouldn’t that be…
“Th-This is a major matter! Little Jun, when you arrive in the capital, you must listen carefully to your master and avoid offending any noble figures,” Old Madam Luo hurriedly instructed Wen Jun.
Wen Jun nodded. “Grandma, I know.”
Knowing that Wen Jun was heading to the capital, Old Madam Luo immediately bustled about, asking Nanny Shi about the capital’s rules, weather, and what items needed to be hastily packed and prepared.
Seeing the old lady bustling off, Li Yi didn’t feel it appropriate to point out that the capital possessed everything already.
Wen Yao and Wen Xiuyi exchanged a glance, and with just a single look, Wen Xiuyi understood his daughter’s meaning. Looking at Wen Jun, he spoke up: “Jun, come with Dad for a moment—there are a few things I need to instruct you on.”
“Mm.”
Watching the family of three depart, Li Yi didn’t follow after them, consciously tagging along behind Xun Feng and the others toward the foot of the back mountain to watch Datou and the rest practice their martial arts.
Inside the study, Wen Xiuyi was the last to step inside, checking both sides of the doorway to ensure no one was around before shutting the door. With an air of mysterious secrecy, he pulled his daughter and son over to sit down.
“Yao Yao, quickly tell your brother about the situation in the capital! Oh, right, what about that male lead? Didn’t you say the male lead is the Emperor’s son? Does Little Jun have a chance of running into him on this trip?” Wen Xiuyi spoke in a low, hushed voice.
After all, there were far too many people in the house right now—including highly skilled imperial guards like Xun Feng and the others—and the soundproofing of this house wasn’t as good as in modern times. He was genuinely worried about walls having ears. If someone overheard something, what if they treated their family of three like monsters?
Lowering her voice right along with him, Wen Yao said, “In the original book, there was no detailed description of the storyline during Datou’s childhood, so this incident with the Empress Dowager falling ill wasn’t mentioned either. However, in the later main storyline, the Empress Dowager isn’t around anymore. So Brother, you must be careful on this trip! Regardless of whether it’s this illness or something else, the Empress Dowager is definitely dead ten-plus years down the road.”
Reaching out, Wen Xiuyi gave Wen Yao’s small head a light poke: “That’s your Uncle Li’s mother—don’t be a crow’s beak!”
Wen Yao quickly spat: “Pah, pah, pah! Children’s harmless words, children’s harmless words! No matter what, the Empress Dowager sent me so many gifts, so I naturally hope the old lady stays safe and sound! It’s just that I don’t know what actually happens in the later plot, so taking extra care is the best approach.
“Besides, the male lead is currently just a seven-year-old child, a total ghost in the inner palace. My brother probably won’t easily see him, and there’s no need to intentionally pry about him either, lest it raise others’ suspicions. Just leave it to luck.”
Wen Jun nodded, agreeing with Wen Yao’s assessment.
“Brother, take this.” Wen Yao suddenly grabbed something out of thin air, setting it down right in front of Wen Jun.
Had the father and son not long grown accustomed to this, they would surely have been scared out of their wits by her trick.
“Take this medicinal diet cookbook with you, just in case it comes in handy,” Wen Yao said. As a well-read person who had devoured countless novels, she knew that whenever female leads treated illnesses for elderly empress dowagers, retired emperors, or emperors, didn’t they always rely on a combination of medicine and dietary therapy? She hoped this item could help her brother out.
Had she not been unable to go herself, Wen Yao would have loved to tag along to the capital to take a look.
Wen Jun flipped through it; the contents were indeed exceptionally thorough. Mutual compatibility and antagonism between foods were written out with absolute clarity, detailing what health-nourishing and therapeutic effects were produced when paired with specific medicinal herbs—it was remarkably comprehensive.
After the three rambled on about a bunch of other things, Wen Xiuyi sighed with emotion: “You know, back in our time, we had phones and such, but with Little Jun traveling thousands of miles away now, my heart truly can’t rest at ease. I can’t even receive a message saying he’s arrived safely.”
Unprepared, Wen Yao whipped out a mobile phone: “Here, a phone! But there’s no signal, so it’s bloody useless! I can’t even catch up on my dramas!” Bringing this up made Wen Yao thoroughly annoyed—it had wasted a ton of her achievement points, yet while she managed to buy the phone, there was no internet, no signal, and the spatial system didn’t support downloads. Sob sob sob sob…
“Put it away, put it away quickly! What if someone sees this?” Wen Xiuyi hurriedly stuffed the phone back into Wen Yao’s hand, where it vanished in an instant.
Wen Yao couldn’t help muttering: “You brought out a flashlight and used it yourself, yet you’re afraid of people seeing this?”
Wen Xiuyi: “…”
“Alright, stop being cheeky. That’s the capital, after all—full of high officials and noble figures everywhere. Yao Yao, shouldn’t we get something for your brother to defend himself with? Like that… that thing…” Wen Xiuyi wiggled his eyebrows frantically.
Wen Yao actually understood his hint. Stepping into her spatial system to take a look, she emerged with her hands spread wide: “Contraband items—prohibited from sale, illegal.”
Wen Xiuyi looked at her with a hint of disdain. It seemed this spatial system wasn’t omnipotent after all.
Wen Jun, however, had remained calm as always throughout. Seeing the father and daughter worry so deeply for him, Wen Jun smiled to comfort them: “I’ll be following Master—what could possibly happen to me? Doesn’t Yao Yao have Li Yi’s carrier pigeons? Ask him later if we can borrow them. Although carrier pigeons fly slowly, having a line of communication is better than nothing.”
Hearing this, the father and daughter realized that was the only way.
As the atmosphere quieted down, Wen Yao suddenly felt a pang of sourness in her nose. Pouting her lips, she called out, “Brother.”
From childhood to adulthood, Wen Yao had hardly ever been separated from Wen Jun. It wasn’t until they went off to college that they lived in different places, but even then, there were mobile phones and video calls, allowing them to connect at any moment. Unlike now—once Wen Jun left, his return date was uncertain, and if she wanted to contact him promptly, she couldn’t even manage it. This suddenly brought a surge of separation anxiety upon Wen Yao.
Seeing his younger sister look as if she were about to cry, Wen Jun, who had originally been calm, felt a pang of sourness in his nose as well. Offering a faint smile, he patted Wen Yao’s head: “You’re almost thirty years old, yet you’re still crying your eyes out.”
Stiffening her neck, tears fell from Wen Yao’s eyes with a soft patter: “I’m only ten years old! No, eleven!”
That single line brought a smile to Wen Jun’s face. Ruffling her hair just as he used to do when they were young, he said, “Rest assured, Brother will take good care of himself. Dad, Yao Yao, you two take care of yourselves as well. I’ll head to the capital first to see how things stand, and if anything happens, I’ll send you news promptly.”
What else could they do except nod? An imperial command could not be defied, and for Wen Jun, this was also a superb learning opportunity. After all, the nation’s finest physicians were gathered in the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
They would simply treat it as Wen Jun going on an official business trip.
“You must listen carefully to your master. He’s a native here after all, so he definitely understands more than us. In this era, rules are greater than the heavens, so don’t go head-to-head with others—preserving your little life comes first,” Wen Xiuyi instructed his eldest son, his eyes rimmed with red as well.
“Mm, I know. Rest assured.”
The next morning, Datou only learned that his eldest brother was going far away to follow Doctor Jin to the capital. The originally lively little fellow instantly turned like an eggplant hit by frost—his eyes rimmed with red, clinging to Wen Jun without letting go, looking like he was on the verge of tears, filling everyone with heartache.
